Capturing Still Images from MPEG1

[JohnJones]

OK here is what I like about Scenalyzer:

Shows a nice time line of images (five to be exact) which allows me to drag along this "5 picture" time line and actually preview the frame I'm pointing to in the Preview box. I then simply press F2 and viola the image is saved. Love IT!

This works great with the captured avi files but..... I'd like this functionality to be compatible with my compressed avi's which are stored in MPEG1 file format.

The reason for this I like to take key images from my MPEG1 raw footage and put them at the end of an edited video while music is finishing or credits are rolling. Very affective way of completing the end of my videos. The second use for this is that it is a nice way to store key images from video and have them play in the background at a party on the TV using PictureToTV. Images and music are a nice way to keep people interested yet they don't have to pay close attention while mingling at the party.

Any suggestions, I'm looking for quick time line access to the entire MPEG1 clip via sliding the pointer across & a single key capture. I don't want to play, fwd, rew to find a simple clip (this is even harder to grab the cleanest image from the footage).

Thanks,
JJ

[kitty]

I doubt you will find a program that is that clean (timeline, slider, one key capture) but several programs can capture stills from a MPEG1 (more than can do a MPEG2). I think the VideoImpression editor that came free with Roxio EZCD Creator suite can almost do what you ask with MPEG1 & AVIs in a dialog box.

[JohnJones]

Thank you for your help on this. Even though I use NERO can I still use the ECDC program you mention above?

[vitualis]

VirtualDub will do this.

I don't think it will save to a BMP, but will copy either the input (raw) or output image (if you used any filters) to the windows clipboard.

It is a matter of then doing "Ctrl+V" into your favourite image editing program (actually, on WinXP at least, "Ctrl+V" into a folder in Windows Explorer will save the image as a bitmap file).

Regards.

[JohnJones]

Thank you for that information.
I've begun to use it already over the weekend. I am interested though in a program such as Scenalyzer to capture images. Any programmers out there wanting to try this? Seems that this product has a unique and very effective method of viewing video.

I thank Scenalyzer for a very good product. And I thank you guys for replying back to my question. Thanks for that WINXP tip.

JJ